Compiled by Barry Nightingale and Harry Hussey

This summary of unchecked reports covers the period from early August to early October 2021.

Headlines Rarities arrived from almost every quarter during the two months covered in this report. The pick of the bunch included White-tailed Lapwing, Green Warbler and Isabelline Wheatear in Yorkshire, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin in Cornwall, Baikal Teal and White’s Thrush on Fair Isle, Eleonora’s Falcon and Sykes’s Warbler in Norfolk, and Black-winged Pratincole in Shetland. 

Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Wrangle (Lincolnshire), 21st–25th September; Islay (Argyll), 5th October. Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii Findhorn Bay (Moray & Nairn), 1st–3rd October. Baikal Teal Sibirionetta formosa Fair Isle, 29th September to 4th October. Blue-winged Teal Spatula discors Fort William (Highland), 2nd October. Black Duck Anas rubripes Mullet Peninsula (Co. Mayo), long-stayer again 9th–27th September. Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca Records from Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis North Ronaldsay (Orkney), 17th September. King Eider Somateria spectabilis Records from Moray & Nairn and Shetland (at least two). Black Scoter Melanitta americana Kinnaber (Angus & Dundee), 2nd–14th September.

Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Loch Feorlin (Argyll), long-stayer again 4th September.

White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus Blacktoft Sands (Yorkshire), 26th August to 5th October. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva Frampton Marsh (Lincolnshire), two long-stayers to 15th August, one to 26th August, again 21st September; North Point (Norfolk), long-stayer to 15th August; Holy Island (Northumberland), 17th–20th September. American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica About 16, across six English, three Scottish and two Irish recording areas. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Galley Cove (Co. Cork), 1st–5th October. Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Sprinkle Pill (Pembrokeshire), 2nd September. Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii North Uist (Outer Hebrides), 16th–19th September; Bryher (Scilly), 16th–27th September; South Uist (Outer Hebrides), 18th September. Influx into Ireland with records in Co. Cork (3), Co. Derry, Co. Galway, Co. Kerry (6), and Co. Wexford. Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla Boulmer (Northumberland), 17th September; Coll, 22nd–24th September and Tiree (both Argyll), 23rd–26th September; Moneypoint (Co. Clare), 23rd September; South Uist, 2nd–5th October; Pool of Virkie, Mainland (Shetland), 2nd–5th October. Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Normandy (Hampshire), 4th–7th October. Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Records from Co. Antrim, Carmarthenshire, Cheshire & Wirral, Co. Derry (2), Kent, Norfolk and Outer Hebrides. Great Snipe Gallinago media Loch of Brow, Mainland, 15th September; Fetlar (both Shetland), 29th September. Wilson’s Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor Burton Mere, 21st–23rd September, then Parkgate Marsh (both Cheshire & Wirral), 24th September. Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Mullet Peninsula (Co. Mayo), 1st–5th October. Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Loch of Strathbeg (North-east Scotland), 28th September to 5th October. Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni Fetlar, 11th–30th August. Collared/Black-winged Pratincole Glareola pratincola/nordmanni Misson/Newington Flash (Nottinghamshire), 30th August to 1st September.

Bonaparte’s Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia Long-stayers in Co. Cork, Kent and Shetland, new arrivals in Co. Antrim/Co. Down, Denbighshire and Devon. ‘Azorean Yellow-legged Gull’ Larus michahellis atlantis The Gearagh (Co. Cork), 14th–16th September. ‘Baltic Gull’ Larus f. fuscus Records from Greater London, Oxfordshire and Yorkshire. Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Snettisham (Norfolk), 10th September. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Southwold (Suffolk), 24th August. Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans Formby Point/Hightown/Crosby, long-stayer to 19th August, same Knott End, 20th August and 31st August to 1st September, and Ainsdale (all Lancashire & N Merseyside), 22nd–23rd August, and Hodbarrow (Cumbria), 27th August. Least Tern Sternula antillarum Portrane (Co. Dublin), long-stayer to 18th August. Forster’s Tern Sterna forsteri Soldier’s Point, Dundalk (Co. Louth), long-stayer to 26th September; same Gormanstown (Co. Meath), 31st August. 

Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris Bempton Cliffs/Flamborough Head, long-stayer most days to 27th September, same Spurn (all Yorkshire), 27th September; Sheringham (Norfolk), 26th August. Fea’s/Desertas Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta Reports from the North Sea coast included Co. Durham to Northumberland, 27th August; Cleveland to North-east Scotland, 30th August; Yorkshire to Northumberland, 1st September; Co. Durham to Northumberland, 2nd September; Northumberland, 4th September; Yorkshire 12th September. Elsewhere North Ronaldsay (Orkney), singles most days during 2nd–7th September; Outer Hebrides, 6th September; Annagh Head, Mullet Peninsula, 22nd September. Audubon’s/Barolo/Boyd’s Shearwater Puffinus lherminieri/baroli/boydi Pendeen, 5th October. 

Black Stork Ciconia nigra Several sites in Yorkshire, 7th–9th August, same Frampton Marsh, intermittently 9th August to 15th September; several sites in Suffolk, 12th–15th August; Essex 14th–15th August, again 16th September. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides Gronant (Flintshire), 15th–26th September. 

Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus Compton Down (Isle of Wight), 12th September; Kilminning (Fife), 19th September; Toft, Mainland (Shetland), 25th September. Black Kite Milvus migrans Records from Co. Cork, Dumfries & Galloway, Kent, Pembrokeshire, Co. Wexford and Yorkshire. Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus St Kilda (Outer Hebrides), long-stayer to 29th September; Ben Macdui (Moray & Nairn/North-east Scotland), 27th August to 21st September. 

Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae Gayton (Norfolk), 6th September. 

Daurian Shrike Lanius isabellinus Fair Isle, 1st–4th October. Daurian/Turkestan Shrike Lanius isabellinus/phoenicuroides Dursey Island (Co. Cork), 22nd September. Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator Records from Fair Isle, Pembrokeshire, Scilly and Shetland; also ‘Balearic Woodchat Shrike’ L. s. badius St Mary’s (Scilly) 6th September to 5th October.

Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus Barra (Outer Hebrides), 27th September; Blacksod, Mullet Peninsula, 1st–2nd October; Bardsey (Caernarfonshire), 2nd–4th October; Brae, 2nd–4th October; Sullom Voe, 4th October; Sandwick (all Shetland), 4th October; Achill Island (Co. Mayo), 4th–5th October.

‘American Horned Lark’ Eremophila a. alpestris Inishmore (Co. Galway), 3rd October. 

Western Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli St Mary’s, 4th–14th September; St Martin’s (both Scilly), 26th–29th September; Easter Quarff, 3rd–4th October; Easter Skeld (both Mainland, Shetland), 4th October; Papa Westray (Orkney), 5th October. Western Bonelli’s/Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli/orientalis Bryher, 8th–9th September; Land’s End (Cornwall), 9th September. Radde’s Warbler Phylloscopus schwarzi Sanday (Orkney), 3rd–5th October; Kergord, 5th October; Sullom (all Mainland, Shetland), 5th October. Green Warbler Phylloscopus nitidus Buckton (Yorkshire), 9th–14th September. Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides Records from Co. Cork, Cornwall, Co. Durham, Highland, Isle of Wight, Norfolk (3), North-east Scotland, Scilly, Shetland (5), Suffolk, Co. Wexford and Yorkshire (7), most arriving 22nd August to 5th September. Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis Records from Fair Isle (2), Orkney (2), Shetland (3) and Yorkshire, most arriving 6th–13th September. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Quendale, Mainland (Shetland), 29th September. Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola Lytchett Bay (Dorset), 17th August. Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola Calf of Man (Isle of Man), 16th September; Foula (Shetland), 26th September. Blyth’s Reed Warbler Acrocephalus dumetorum Records from Caernarfonshire, Fair Isle (2), Orkney, Shetland (3) and Co. Waterford. Booted Warbler Iduna caligata Fair Isle, 11th August to 1st September; Galley Head (Co. Cork), 31st August; Barra, 12th September; Fetlar, 17th September; Unst (both Shetland), 28th September. Sykes’s Warbler Iduna rama Blakeney Point (Norfolk), 3rd September. Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata Foula, 1st October; Unst, 1st October; North Ronaldsay, 4th October.

White’s Thrush Zoothera aurea Fair Isle, 29th September to 1st October. Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes Coverack (Cornwall), 22nd–23rd August. Thrush Nightingale Luscinia lusciniaCalf of Man, 10th September. Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus Whalsay, 26th September; Foula (both Shetland), 29th September. Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis Fair Isle, 10th September. Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina Easington (Yorkshire), 17th September.

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola Records from Borders, Fair Isle, Orkney, Outer Hebrides, Scilly and Shetland (2). Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris Beachy Head (Sussex), 19th September; Bryher, 19th September; Unst, 28th–29th September. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Records from Cornwall and Shetland (9). Pechora Pipit Anthus gustavi Fair Isle, 28th September. Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinusWorth Marsh (Kent), 18th September. Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens St Kilda, 22nd September to 1st October, two on 2nd–3rd, one to 5th October; St Agnes (Scilly), 3rd–5th October.

Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica Records from Cornwall, Shetland (6) and Yorkshire.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus Unst, 25th September; Tiree, 30th September.

Volume: 
Issue 11
Start Page: 
713
Display Image: 

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